.," with the markets closed for the martin luther king junior holiday, we bring you an "n.b.r." special edition: u.s. innovation. america has a long history as the world's leading innovator. but what will it take to stay competitive and remain a beacon of innovation? suzanne pratt has the story. >> reporter: the u.s. has put the world behind the wheel and an iphone in millions of pockets. but, we may be losing our competitive edge. some say it's because america's fragile economy is a distraction for corporate america. others point to our inferior infrastructure and subpar public education. but, adam segal senior fellow at the council on foreign relations and author of "advantage" says the big problem is others are gaining ground. >> we have been running in place for the last three or four years because of the recession, spending on r&d, and big ideas seem to be fairly scarce. while china just continues to funnel more and more money into it. >> reporter: still many argue the u.s. will always be extremely competitive because we are the most innovative place in the world. what bett